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Current Conditions On the

...Round (!)

Advice please - I'm taking a 'leisurely' walk round the BGR route over the next few days (clockwise). The forecast is for some fresh snow above 700m and I'm assuming (based on various reports elsewhere and the Helvellyn assessor) that there is still a fair bit of compacted snow and ice about on the highest tops. I want to travel fairly light, but was planning on taking microspikes, but would rather not take an ice axe as well. Any thoughts from those who have been on the tops today?

Walked on Great End and Scafell Pike today. Carried axe and crampons but didn't use them. Snow patches either avoidable or soft enough to negotiate without metalwork. A couple of good bum slides on the way down to Lingmell Col.

Didn't see much snow/ice last weekend around Red Pike to Haystacks, Steel Fell to Calf Crag, Seat Sandal to St. Sundays Crag, The Knott to High Raise. Just few patches of snow here and there.
FairfieldFairfield.jpg

Well, carried the microspikes, but never used them! The patches where they would have been useful were generally small (except one memorable moment on Bow Fell!!!) and it was more effort to get them out and put them on than I could be bothered with. I actually missed out the Scafell range on the Leg 3 day as there looked to be a fair bit of hard snow/ice, it was getting late and stoopidly using new boots meant my feet and ankles were killing me by that point, so I dropped down via Esk Hause and Styhead to Wasdale. I also missed out on part of leg 4 because of really sore ankles the next morning - thought I'd damaged a tendon. When I changed, in desperation, into some lightweight trainers on Kirk Fell I felt like a new man - even if the grip over the Gables was shocking! I will need to do Legs 3&4 later in the year as a run instead to make up for my tardiness! Cough never went mind - just got worse!